Chromosome 19p13.3-p13.2 contains genes encoding, for example, zinc-finger protein 14, oncogene VAV1, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase, bone marrow stromal cell antigen, calponin 1 and syntaxin binding protein 2; the last of which is discussed in detail below. The gene that encodes resistin, is known to be disposed on chromosome 19.
Human Resistin
Human resistin is a protein that interferes with the actions of insulin on liver and muscle. It is disposed largely in white adipose tissue and in crypt epithelium of the intestine. Given its disposition in fatty tissue and its inhibition of insulin effects, resistin is believed to link obesity to type 2 diabetes (Steppan et al., Nature 409: 307-312, 2001). Consistent with this view, antibodies to resistin improve blood sugar levels and insulin actions in mice with diet-induced obesity. Conversely, administration of recombinant resistin impairs glucose tolerance and insulin actions. The resistin cDNA is identical to the cDNAs for entities called FIZZ3, accession number AF205952, and C/EBP-epsilon regulated myeloid-specific secreted cysteine-rich protein precursor, accession number AF352730. The latter sequence contains the intron sequences and some 5′- and 3′-sequences.
Human Syntaxin Binding Protein 2
Human syntaxin binding protein, a member of the STXBP/unc-18/Sec1 protein family, is disposed largely in placenta, lung, liver, kidney, peripheral lymphocytes and pancreas. It is believed to play a role in vesicular transport between the golgi apparatus and the cell membrane in non-neuronal tissues. Mouse syntaxin binding protein 2-binds to syntaxins 1A, 2 and 3 but not to syntaxin 4 (Katagiri et al., J. Biol. Chem. 270: 4963-6, 1995). The human gene is upregulated in interleukin-2 activated natural killer cells (Ziegler et al., Genomics 37: 19-23, 1996). The cDNA has been determined (see accession number NM—006949).